History's Major Religious Leaders

The following list of religious leaders is taken directly from Living Biographies of Religious Leaders by Henry Thomas and Dana Lee Thomas, Garden City, New York: Garden City Books (1959), one volume in the Thomas's classic Living Biographies series.

Adherents.com has no position about whether or not these are really history's greatest or most influential religious leaders. Clearly this list represents the perspective of Henry and Dana Lee Thomas, who are historians and biogaphers.

Other Living Biographies Books by Henry and Dana Lee Thomas are about: Great Philosophers; Great Scientists; Great Composers; Great Poets; Great Painters; Famous Novelists; Famous Women.

If you have an alternative list of religious leaders which you would like included here, please write us at webmaster@adherents.com.

Other categories in the DeVore/Linford Series are: Explorers, Scientists, Inventors, Writers, Painters, Composers, and Leaders.

Greatest Historical Religious Figures (Bill Yenne)

(Listed chronologically)

Moses

Lao Tsu

Buddha

Confucius

Jesus Christ

St. Paul

St. Augustine

Mohammed

St. Thomas Aquinas

Martin Luther

Gandhi

Source: Yenne, Bill. 100 Men Who Shaped World History. San Francisco, CA: Bluewood Books (1994)

Greg Bear's List of History's Major Prophets

Greg Bear is the critically acclaimed author of such science fiction works as Eon, The Forge of God, Moving Mars, Foundation and Chaos, Blood Music, and Darwin's Radio. He has been awarded six Hugo and Nebula awards. His novella Heads (New York: St. Martin's Press, 1990, pg. 101-102) contains the following entertaining account narrated by the main character (a colonist on the moon) as he begins to research the book's fictional religion Logology:

I had dipped into records of past prophets during my Earth research. Zarathustra. Jesus. Mohammed. Shabbetai Tzevi, the seventeenth-century Turkish Jew who had claimed to be Messiah, and who in the end had apostatized and become a Moslem Al Mahdi, who had defeated the British at Khartoum. Joseph Smith, who had read the Word of God from golden tablets with special glasses, and Brigham Young...

Although Bear's fiction often incorporates theological and sociolgical themes, Bear himself does not claim to be a theologian or historian by training. This list of major prophets is Bear's attempt to describe the perspective of somebody living about 100 years in the future. Naturally, the list also reflects Bear's own perspective--that of a popular writer, futurist, and commentator on society who lives in the Pacific Northwestern United States. (Bear himself has stated he does not believe in any contemporary religion, but is fascinated by the subject.)

Zarathustra (Zoroaster)

Jesus

Mohammed

Shabbetai Tzevi

Al Mahdi

Joseph Smith

Brigham Young

Other lists shown above were compiled from a secular/historical (and Western) perspective. Lists prepared by writers with a different background, or written from a different perspective, would probably be different. A Hindu or Indian writer might include Ramakrishna, Vivekananda, Gandhi, etc.

Major Baha'i Prophets

The Baha'i Faith lists the following figures as major Prophets, or Manifestations of God:

Time Magazine's Person of the Century Poll

"While Time deliberated on its Person of the Century, the magazine's Web site invited readers to vote. [Source: The King of the Century" in the San Jose Mercury News, 27 Dec. 1999; URL: http://www7.mercurycenter.com:80/premium/nation/docs/timebox27.htm] It's clear from this poll that many individuals voted for the contemporary major religious leader who represents their own faith (Protestants voted for Billy Graham, Catholis voted for Pope John Paul II, Latter-day Saints voted for Gorden B. Hinckley).

Other people voted for an ideological leader important to them (Martin Luther King Jr., Mohandas Gandhi or Ronald Reagan). Jews and Israelis voted for Yitzhak Rabin. People who value pop culture put Elvis Presley at the top. Adolf Hitler's third place ranking is probably a result of people trying to make an accurate historical assessment of who had the most impact. They certainly don't endorse his actions, but recognize his importance.

Elvis Presley

624,574

Yitzhak Rabin

599,557

Adolf Hitler

516,408

Billy Graham

470,477

Albert Einstein

443,630

Martin Luther King Jr.

381,462

Pope John Paul II

372,015

Gordon B. Hinckley*

255,026

Mohandas Gandhi

163,940

Ronald Reagan

81,262

*Hinckley is president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.